On March 14, 2026 (Saturday), at the Mizushima Ai Salon Lawn Square, the "Mizushima Egg Marche," hosted by Sakamoto Egg Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Sakamoto Egg"), featuring shops that use Sakamoto Egg's eggs and parent chicken meat, was held.
Supporting the Marche, which had a long line for over two hours from the opening, were the operational volunteers.
At the Marche hosted by Sakamoto Egg, customers who usually eat their eggs, as well as operational volunteers gathered through social media calls, support the event.
How is the Marche that we casually participate in usually operated? We followed a day in the life of the operational volunteers.
What is the "Mizushima Egg Marche"?
The Mizushima Egg Marche is a market featuring delicious dishes, sweets, drinks, and miscellaneous goods made with eggs hosted by Sakamoto Egg.
The first event was held in 2021 in Bisei-cho, Ibara City, under the name "Hoshinosato Egg Marche," and from 2023, it has been held under the same name in Mizushima, where their factory is located.
With each event, the number of vendors unique to Mizushima has increased, and starting from this 25th event, the name has been changed to "Mizushima Egg Marche" (hereinafter referred to as "Egg Marche").
For details about the Egg Marche, please check the image below.
The day's events
Past Egg Marches in Mizushima have often been plagued by bad weather, but on March 14 (Saturday), it was sunny from the morning.
A long line began to form at the Sakamoto Egg corner about 10 minutes before the start, and it continued without interruption until just after noon.
The highest number of visitors ever was recorded, making it a very successful event.
Gathering two hours before opening! Operational volunteers also help each vendor
Since Sakamoto Egg, which hosts the Egg Marche, also sets up a large booth on the day, they need to prepare for their own sales.
Therefore, they have been recruiting operational volunteers since the time of the Hoshinosato Egg Marche held in Bisei-cho.
On this day, 10 operational volunteers gathered at 8 a.m., two hours before the event started, to set up the venue.
Since the volunteers were recruited by Sakamoto Egg, one might think that they would only be involved in setting up their own booth, but that is not the case.
They proactively assist all 31 vendors by reaching out to them and helping with tent setups as needed. The warm atmosphere of the event is conveyed by the sight of vendors and operational volunteers communicating amicably even before the event starts.
Volunteers are active even at the end of the long line
The Egg Marche had a long line that continued for about two hours without interruption before it started.
There were operational volunteers at the front of that long line as well.
At the end of the line, an operational volunteer holding a sign was in charge of organizing the line.
Nearby, there were also operational volunteers chatting with visitors while distributing samples of Sakamoto Egg's original products, such as egg crackers and tuna arale curry flavor.
The operational volunteer holding the sign at the end of the line had a big smile, saying, "I'm so happy that so many people came."
The operational volunteer distributing samples mentioned that they are a fan of Sakamoto Egg and often eat their products, and they were recommending products to visitors who expressed their delight, saying, "It's delicious."
Because the operational volunteers are also customers of Sakamoto Egg, they can introduce recommended products from the same perspective, which is a great aspect of the event.
Operational volunteers also enjoy the Marche to the fullest
At the Egg Marche, operational volunteers and staff enjoy going around to each vendor, tasting delicious food, and picking up miscellaneous goods themed around eggs and chicks.
As the afternoon progressed, visitors began to relax on the lawn while eating the products they purchased, and the operational volunteers also started to visit the shops they were interested in one by one.
Not only among the operating volunteers but also with the vendors, including Sakamoto Egg, the joy of reuniting after a long time and sharing updates was evident, creating a community unique to Egg Marche where everyone stood on equal ground.
If you volunteer, can you receive original goods from Sakamoto Egg?!
After the Marche ended, the vendors and volunteers worked together to dismantle, and within an hour, the Mizushima Ai Ai Salon lawn area was restored to its original state.
After dismantling, the staff of Sakamoto Egg and the operating volunteers gathered, and Sakamoto Akiyoshi (Sakamoto Akiyoshi), the representative director of Sakamoto Egg, expressed his gratitude and presented gifts to the operating volunteers.
The contents are original gift sets created with consideration for each individual, centered around Sakamoto Egg products. For veteran volunteers with a high number of participations, non-sale original T-shirts and other items are also given as gifts.
Each gift set is large enough to be held with both hands, and every operating volunteer smiled when receiving them.
Interview with Operating Volunteers
We spoke with those who participated as operating volunteers.
Please tell us what motivated you to become an operating volunteer for Egg Marche.
Fujita-san
I originally liked Sakamoto Egg's eggs, so I wanted to help and participated. The employees and volunteers have a calm atmosphere, and I always look forward to coming here.
Maki-san
I was interested in event volunteering, so I saw the recruitment for operating volunteers on Sakamoto Egg's official Instagram and participated for the first time this time.
Event staff positions are often recruited as part-time jobs, but being able to participate as a volunteer even as a first-timer is attractive.
What do you enjoy about being an operating volunteer?
Kuninori-san
At Sakamoto Egg's Egg Marche, various people and shops are involved, so being able to talk with different people at the venue is very refreshing.
I enjoy coordinating socks and accessories with chicken and egg designs.
Ito-san
Every time I participate as a volunteer, I look forward to meeting my fellow volunteers and the employees of Sakamoto Egg. It is one of the important communities that is neither my workplace nor my home, so I travel from Tokyo every time for Egg Marche.
Another nice point is that the back of the name tags for the operating staff is a discount coupon for Sakamoto Egg's raw eggs. It seems that not only fans of Sakamoto Egg but also some operating volunteers who had never shopped at Sakamoto Egg before have become fans because of this opportunity.
A Word from the Organizers
After the event, Sakamoto, who organized the Egg Marche, stated, "It is very grateful to be able to operate the event together with the users who eat our eggs. The operating volunteers are an indispensable and important presence for Egg Marche, and I hope to continue creating great events together in the future."
Conclusion
When it comes to volunteering, we often see students participating as extracurricular activities, seniors looking to find new hobbies after work, or those with specialized skills in nursing or childcare, but it is rare to see people in their 30s to 50s who are usually working.
From those who participated as operating volunteers this time, there were multiple voices saying, "I was actually interested in volunteering, but due to the timing and skills required, the opportunities to participate in volunteering were limited, so being a volunteer for Sakamoto Egg's Egg Marche is very enjoyable."
For Sakamoto Egg, it becomes an opportunity to increase the number of companions who help with operations and their own users, while for the operating volunteers, it seems to be a time that leads to self-realization, yielding significant benefits for both parties.
In the future, there will be ongoing recruitment for operating volunteers during the Egg Marche, so if you are interested, please check out Sakamoto Egg's Instagram.
Data on MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE
| Name | MIZUSHIMA EGG MARCHE |
|---|---|
| Date | March 14, 2026 (Saturday) 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Location | 1-50 Higashichidori-cho, Mizushima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation Fee (Tax Included) | Free admission |
| Website | Sakamoto Egg |
